How to uninstall Google Japanese Input on Mac

Back up Google Japanese Input user data before uninstalling. The recorded product folder is ~/Library/Application Support/Google/JapaneseInput; copy the existing folder after switching input methods and stopping its processes, outside all sync/removal roots. Keep the shared ~/Library/Application Support/Google parent and other Google products' data.

Use the vendor uninstaller

Finish typing and switch to another working input source. For a full installed copy, the Google FAQ says to open the Google 日本語入力 folder in Applications and run Google 日本語入力の削除, then restart to complete removal. Keep that uninstaller available until it finishes, save other work before restarting, and do not remove shared Google updating services by hand.

A copied payload without the full installer is a narrower case. After backup and stopping it, inspect only the actual ~/Library/Input Methods/GoogleJapaneseInput.app copy, the recorded test location, before moving it to the Trash. This does not substitute for a full installation's uninstaller or service removal.

If you installed it with Homebrew

The cask uses a pkg. Ordinary uninstall unloads com.google.inputmethod.Japanese.Converter and com.google.inputmethod.Japanese.Renderer and processes com.google.pkg.GoogleJapaneseInput, independently of zap:

brew uninstall --cask google-japanese-ime

Zap also unloads shared Keystone services com.google.keystone.agent, com.google.keystone.daemon and com.google.keystone.xpcservice, processes com.google.pkg.Keystone, and removes ~/Library/Application Support/Google/JapaneseInput, ~/Library/Logs/GoogleJapaneseInput and ~/Library/Saved Application State/com.google.inputmethod.Japanese.Tool.ConfigDialog.savedState. Shared updater removal can affect other Google products, so keep it when still needed.

Direct brew uninstall --cask --zap google-japanese-ime ignores Mole's checkboxes. Mole uses zap only when the full scope passes selection, ownership and safety checks; selected remnants otherwise use its own Trash flow. Ordinary product-service removal does not depend on zap selection.

Check the result

pgrep -ifl GoogleJapaneseInput
ls -ld "$HOME/Library/Input Methods/GoogleJapaneseInput.app" "$HOME/Library/Application Support/Google/JapaneseInput"
launchctl list | grep -F com.google.inputmethod.Japanese

No process match means no arguments matched this pattern. Printed paths remain, expected for preserved user data. With a successful launchd read and no errors, no matching row means no matching job in that user list, not proof about all system jobs. Missing-path errors concern only those entries; other errors are inconclusive and do not verify dictionary recovery.

What Mole lists

The nested product support folder needs review, starting unchecked with Remove data and settings with apps off; enabling it can preselect eligible unshared app data. Shared Google parents and Keystone services remain separate ownership boundaries. Review the input-method row individually and keep wanted dictionaries after backup.

What this test covered

On September 22, 2026, only GoogleJapaneseInput.app 3.33 was extracted from the official pkg and copied into the per-user Input Methods folder. The full installer was not run. The app and product logs were removed; the reviewed nested support folder was left unchecked. Full installed-service removal, enabled-input use, dictionary restoration and Homebrew were not tested.